Rural America's economy in 1980-89 had a hard time keeping up with the urban economy and continued to undergo industrial restructuring, key indicators show. Nonmetro employment growth lagged growth in urban areas during that period. Job losses early in the 1980's, and slow growth afterwards, limited economic opportunities and led to declining relative incomes, higher poverty rates, and slow population growth in parts of rural America. These economic conditions reflect both the cyclical downturn in the early 1980's and continued restructuring that has affected traditional rural industries.